Kenny Williams keeps the faith

Here’s Kenny:

“Yes, I am impatient. Yes, I am frustrated. But yes, I still do remain confident that this team is the team that can still challenge for the division championship and hopefully beyond. We’ve got a lot of good pieces, we just need to all come together and we’ll be just fine.
I also expounded on my feelings about the speculation regarding the coaching staff and trades. I flat out told everyone — because I have a policy that no one has to guess what’s on my mind — that the first people who get the benefit from that philosophy is my players and my coaching staff. So I explained to them that I have not had one single conversation in terms of making changes in a managerial position or the coaching positions. I have faith in these guys and still have confidence in knowing that there are some guys who are struggling, but there are also some guys who are performing well. Now, ultimately, if they have gotten the information, the players are the ones who have to step up, and they know that. They know that.”

Reifert has Kenny’s comments from earlier today at the link.

Cowley (twitter):

Sounds like KW gave coaches and players vote of confidence – or means Michael Corleone just kissed you on the lips. Enjoy the fishing boat.

Fangraphs on Alex Rios

Klaasen:

Alex Rios … has been on fire offensively, hitting .308/.350/.564 (.401 wOBA) while stealing bases efficiently and playing good center field defense … there are no obvious “luck” indicators for Rios. His current average on balls in play (.312) is actually lower than his career average (.319), and he’s hitting plenty of line drives without it being unsustainable. His home run per fly ball rate is a bit up, but not excessively, and it may be that he is better suited to his new home park. Hit Tracker doesn’t see him as overly lucky, in any case. Rios walk rate is down a bit and his O-Swing% is up a little, so those are worth tracking.

Baseball America on Dayan Viciedo

Shonerd:

Much like he did last year at Double-A Birmingham, White Sox third baseman Dayan Viciedo got off to a slow start for Triple-A Charlotte. The 21-year-old Cuban, who hit just .234/.244/.299 in his first month with Birmingham last year, saw his average bottom out at .218/.232/.309 on April 22. Since then, Viciedo has hit a sizzling .356/.396/.678 with eight homers (the fourth most in the minors over that span) and 18 RBIs. Viciedo hasn’t changed his free-swinging ways, as he’s drawn just four walks all season, but he has managed to improve his contact rate noticeably over the last few weeks. After striking out 23 times in 83 at-bats in April, he’s whiffed just 10 times in 62 at-bats so far in May. …

Kenny Williams: Ozzie Guillen can’t come to my restaurant.

Gonzales:

“Well, he can’t come to the restaurant,” quipped Williams, referring to Guillen’s comment that he didn’t like the food served at Williams’ West Loop establishment. “He’s got to pay now. Since he doesn’t really like the food, that’s not a wedge between us. Like I said previously, we’re as tight as we need to be to get the job done.”

UPDATE: Video [Williams: No trades on horizon for White Sox]

Kenny Williams said no to Texas on A.J. Pierzynski?

Gregor:

As for “blowing up” the roster, Kenny said he hasn’t made one call to another team about a trade. He has received some, including from Texas on A.J. Pierzynski, and said thanks but no thanks.

Hasn’t made any calls? OK, the calls are initiated by Rick Hahn.

White Sox interested in Yuniesky Maya again?

Google translation of Jorge Ebro’s El Nuevo Herald column (h/t MLBTR):

Several reports indicate that Chicago White Sox and New York Mets would be among those who have expressed interest in the former pitcher for the national teams of the island. “From what we have seen, is consistently scoring between 92 and 94 mph,” Hernandez said.” But the main thing it is not so much the speed as the amount of resources and the ability to combine them. He knows how to get outs.”

Here are all my previous posts, including scouting reports and videos, on Yuniesky Maya. Scott Merkin wrote in January:

I was told at SoxFest that the White Sox scouted Maya and watched him throw, but they dropped out of the Maya picture after signing J.J. Putz. The money wanted wasn’t commensurate with where the White Sox thought Maya would be pegged as a fourth- or fifth-starter type.

MLBTR says:

Maya is at least six years older and right-handed, but on the other hand, boasts far more competitive experience and, by all accounts, a fuller arsenal of secondary pitches. Maya told Terreno de Pelota’s Uziel Gomez [Google translation] last September he alternates between a 94-mile-an-hour heater, slider, change-up, curve, and sinker, a repertoire which scouts backed up after seeing Maya in action at a workout late last year.In the 48th National Series that ended last year, Maya ended second to Chapman in strikeouts, 119 to 130, but outdistanced the younger pitcher in the league’s equivalent of the Cy Young, thanks to Maya’s superior overall stats: 13-4, seven complete games, and a 2.22 ERA in 145 IP. In six Cuban campaigns, Maya managed a 48-29 record with a 2.51 ERA and was also lights-out in both of his brief appearances at the WBC.

BTW, here’s Maya’s approach for Ichiro (from the Terreno de Pelota link):

“I always tried to open with the first strike in the lower to get above them in the count. Ichiro worked with him side shoots, the high and the surf line, changing the time of pitching. I got a grounder to second and then shortstop. “

Those Google translations are da bomb!